In gaming, procedural generation typically refers to in-game data being created algorithmically (by code), rather than being manually created using human-made assets and pre-placed into the game. In simple terms, procedural generation is the method that allows certain games to create randomized dungeons, environments, or other elements that are unique to each playthrough.

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Procedural generation is a mechanic that's been pushed further and further as the years have gone by and seems to show no signs of slowing down. Despite being applicable mainly in roguelikes, the mechanic has found many other uses since its creation and has been featured in some of the most iconic & exciting games of the past few decades.

10 Valheim Takes Players Deep Into Norse Mythology

Valheim Base Building

Steeped deeply in Norse mythology and culture, Valheim is both the name of the game and the land that players spend their time inhabiting, a world between Earth and Valhalla where dead Vikings go to prove they have the right to ascend higher. In the open-world survival game, the player must not only defeat the various evils that exist in Valheim, but make sure they stay safe by crafting a shelter and tools.

The level design itself in Valheim is procedurally generated, with each seed springing forth a whole new world where each of the main objectives is in an entirely new place. Players must be adaptable to be able to conquer the world, especially with how difficult Valheim is.

9 Don't Starve Is Spooky And Spine-Tingling

Characters from Don't Starve lined up next to each other

With Tim Burtonesque visuals and – at the time of its release – intriguing new survival mechanics, Don't Starve is about keeping the player character alive in a gloomy world full of horrors by managing the three pillars of health, hunger, and sanity.

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The level design in Don't Starve is procedurally generated. To beat the game, the player must battle through a variety of boss fights across chapters. Most of these boss fights, however, need certain materials from the world only available in a procedurally generated location, meaning each playthrough gives you access to different things at different points.

8 Crypt Of The NecroDancer Tells You To Follow The Rhythm

Gameplay of Crypt of the Necrodancer

Unique in the way that it seamlessly blends two different genres, the rhythm roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer is more effective when the player moves their character to the beat of the music. Like many other roguelikes, NecroDancer's underground dungeons are procedurally generated and provide a unique challenge every time the player attempts to beat the game.

The player doesn't have to utilize a controller either, but can instead use a dance pad to feel more like they're playing a rhythm game. Not only does the player character follow the rhythm, the enemies do so as well. Learning the beats of the procedurally generated rooms is the best way to get through a playthrough.

7 Enter The Gungeon Is All Guns Blazing

Enter the Gungeon Gameplay

A bullet-hell roguelike with procedurally generated dungeon levels, or more correctly "Gungeon" levels, Enter the Gungeon follows four adventurers as they comb through the levels to find a gun that can kill their past.

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The dungeon rooms themselves are pre-set, but each of the weapons and treasures that appear is completely randomized, and the order and layout of the rooms on each floor are procedurally generated just before the player arrives.

6 The Binding Of Isaac Is A Gory Classic

The Binding Of Isaac

The Binding of Isaac benefits from randomized loot, bosses, and floor layout. There's a whole variety of characters to unlock with different abilities and stats, beginning with seven characters in the first game, but expanding to an even larger cast later on, which adds a whole other layer of replayability.

The Binding of Isaac in particular does a great job at creating a different experience with every playthrough. Sometimes players are lucky, ending up as an overpowered machine that can take down anything in their path, but other times they could pick up an item that means their shots only travel in zig-zags, which can typically be a run destroyer.

5 Spore Was A Revolutionary Concept

Despite being released in 2008, Spore remains one of the most iconic examples of procedural generation done well, sometimes ending in hilarious results. In Spore, the player can create and maintain their very own species, building them from the ground up and seeing where the procedural generation takes them. The Spore team famously put a lot of care and attention into the production of the game, wanting it to be a sort of sandbox toy for all ages that would allow them to create their own, eventually sentient, species.

4 Hades Is A Critically Acclaimed Greek Myth Fest

large man seated at table

Based on Greek mythology, Hades follows Zagreus, son of Hades, as he attempts to escape the underworld and his father. Another roguelike dungeon crawler, all of the rooms besides the boss stages in Hades are procedurally generated, but the player can often choose which path to take which gives them slightly more control than other roguelikes.

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Hades does a brilliant job at rewarding the player for playing over and over again, trickle-feeding them plot information via other characters and encounters in the world. Not only are dungeon rooms procedurally generated, but characters like Eurydice and Sisyphus can only be found in special rooms, the locations of which are randomized each time.

3 Terraria Has A Lot Of Ground To Cover

An action-adventure sandbox with a variety of unique bosses to conquer, Terraria's side-scrolling 2D environment doesn't make its procedural generation any less effective. In a similar vein to other procedurally-generated games, Terraria's randomized environment means fighting bosses isn't as simple as going to a pre-set place.

Terraria can be a daunting world at first, but its randomized assets are what make the game so exciting for fans to play. Players never know when they might come across an entity as terrifying as the Wall of Flesh, creating intense tension despite its playful art style.

2 No Man's Sky Made Significant Improvements

The original poster for No Man's Sky game

A name that's incredibly well-known in the gaming world for having one of the best comebacks in recent history, No Man's Sky has become a procedural wonder thanks to the developers' tireless efforts to massively improve a game that had a lackluster release.

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Now, No Man's Sky can boast an entire galaxy that is completely procedurally generated, from the planets themselves, to the flora and fauna that inhabit them. Players were finally given the space sandbox that was promised to them, and the time taken to fix the game has certainly paid off.

1 Minecraft Is A Complete Classic

minecraft key art with steve and alex

Arguably the most iconic game that uses procedural generation, Minecraft's ability to throw players into an entirely different world every time was its main draw when it first began to grow a loyal fanbase. The world is procedurally generated via seed, and the locations of all of the resources and wonders are completely randomized each time.

Minecraft's current end goal is to reach The End and fight the Ender Dragon, but to get there the player must find a procedurally generated end portal somewhere within the massive sandbox world. This isn't an easy task for casual players, and can easily take tens of hours to accomplish.

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